2023 Rockingham state by-election

On 29 May 2023, McGowan announced that he was resigning as Premier of Western Australia and the MLA for Rockingham, a seat he had held since 1996. He stated that the job was "relentless" and that he no longer had the "energy or drive to continue". Reflecting on his political career, McGowan thanked voters of Western Australia who had "provided [him] with the opportunity of a lifetime." McGowan led Labor to government for the first time since 2008 in 2017.{{Cite news |last=Shepherd |first=Tory |date=2023-05-29 |title=Mark McGowan resigns as premier of Western Australia, saying he is 'exhausted' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/29/mark-mcgowan-quits-resigns-step-down-wa-premier-western-australia |access-date=2023-06-17 |issn=0261-3077}}

The electoral district of Rockingham was first contested at the 1974 Western Australian state election and has been held by the Australian Labor Party since its inception. Previous member Mike Barnett held the district from the beginning until his retirement at the 1996 election where he was succeeded by McGowan. Barring the elections in 1974 and 1977, Rockingham has been a consistently safe electorate for Labor with the smallest margin being 0.9 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote (TPP) in its first election. At the 2021 Western Australian state election, McGowan received a TPP of 87.7% - one of the highest margins in both federal and state elections in Australia.

Geographically, the district encompasses the City of Rockingham and its surrounding areas. Located 47 km south-southwest of the Perth CBD by the coast near the Cockburn Sound inlet. The district is adjacent to several maritime and resource-industry installations and offshore is home to Australia's largest naval fleet and submarine base at Garden Island. According to the 2021 Census, the median age of Rockingham is 45 with a weekly median household income of $1,273 per week. 20.5 per cent of residents are currently engaged in secondary education and 17.7 per cent in tertiary education.{{Cite web |title=2021 Rockingham (South Metropolitan), Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SED54605 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}

On 14 June, it was confirmed that Labor strategist Magenta Marshall has been preselected for Labor to run as the party's candidate in Rockingham.

On 13 June, the Liberal Party announced that the party would contest the by-election.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-13 |title=Liberals to contest McGowan's Rockingham seat in by-election |url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/liberals-hope-for-swing-in-ultra-safe-labor-seat-of-rockingham-after-mark-mcgowan-resignation-c-10962226 |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=The West Australian |language=en}}

On 18 June, it was reported that 21-year-old Peter Hudson will be the party's candidate. He was the only person to nominate for preselection.

{{Excerpt|Results of the 2021 Western Australian state election (Legislative Assembly)|section=Rockingham}}

{{Election box begin

| title = 2023 Rockingham state by-election[https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/state/byelection#/2023-Rockingham-By-election State By-elections – 2023 Rockingham By-election], Western Australian Electoral Commission

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Magenta Marshall

| party = Labor WA

| votes = 10,791

| percentage = 49.33

| change = −33.42

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Peter Hudson

| party = Liberal WA

| votes = 3,868

| percentage = 17.73

| change = +7.91

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Hayley Edwards

| party = Independent

| votes = 3,488

| percentage = 15.95

| change = +15.95

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Rae Cottam

| party = Legalise Cannabis WA

| votes = 1,487

| percentage = 6.80

| change = +6.80

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Madeleine De Jong

| party = Greens WA

| votes = 1,081

| percentage = 4.94

| change = +1.77

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Mike Crichton

| party = Christians

| votes = 534

| percentage = 2.44

| change = +2.44

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Janetia Knapp

| party = Western Australia Party

| votes = 262

| percentage = 1.20

| change = +1.20

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Clive Gallety

| party = Independent

| votes = 193

| percentage = 0.88

| change = +0.88

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Peter Dunne

| party = Independent

| votes = 170

| percentage = 0.78

| change = +0.78

}}

{{Election box formal

| votes = 21,874

| percentage = 97.20

| change = +0.46

}}

{{Election box informal

| votes = 630

| percentage = 2.80

| change = −0.46

}}

{{Election box turnout|votes=22,504|percentage=74.48|change=−9.46}}

{{Election box n2pp}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Magenta Marshall

| party = Labor WA

| votes = 13,978

| percentage = 65.20

| change = −22.52

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

| candidate = Peter Hudson

| party = Liberal WA

| votes = 7,461

| percentage = 34.80

| change = +22.52

}}

{{Election box 2cp}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

|candidate = Magenta Marshall

|party = Labor WA

|votes = 13,412

|percentage = 61.37

|change = −26.35

}}

{{Election box candidate AU party

|candidate = Hayley Edwards

|party = Independent

|votes = 8,443

|percentage = 38.63

|change = +38.63

}}

{{Election box hold AU party

|winner = Labor WA

|swing = N/A

}}

{{Election box end}}

• List of Western Australian state by-elections

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/state-elections/2023-rockingham-election Western Australian Electoral Commission: 2023 Rockingham By-election]

Category:Western Australian state by-elections

Category:2023 elections in Australia

Category:2020s in Western Australia

Category:May 2023 in Australia